Running from the truth
by smilee.is.love
Summary: What if Dally never died? What if the Curtis' let him into his home? But Dally doesn't exactly like the idea. Being too close would show them his real side. The side he tries so hard to hide. Dally x OOC


**Running from the truth**

I stared out the window of my bedroom, waiting for Ponyboy, or Sodapop to get

home. It sucked having to wait for your brothers all day, having all the fun.

Although I didn't live with my dad or mom anymore, neither of us did, they'd died

years ago, Darry acted like my father and didn't like me coming back home later

than 3:20. I always argued with him, but I always remembered it wasn't proper.

But then again, it wasn't proper for a girl to be speaking badly of her brother like

that, either. I thought about Darrel, the oldest Curtis. He was twenty years old,

but he acted like he was forty . But I knew it was because he was always

working. He had to work just to make ends meet. If he ever missed a day in his

job, I knew we'd be struggling to pay the bills. Darry is my superman. He's

always looking out for Ponyboy, the youngest Curtis, likes to say

Darry's more like a black hole, he sucks all the fun out of everything. But I

always tell him it's because he doesn't use his head, and he's always picking a

row with Darry. Just then, I spotted Ponyboy and Sodapop running towards our

corner, climbed over the fence, and banged at our door. They were lucky Darry

wasn't here, I mused. I walked down the stairs, hitching up my skirt a little, so I

wouldn't trip over the stairs, knowing what a complete clutz I was. I opened the

door, and stared at the urgent faces of my brothers. Ponyboy was about to step

in, when I noticed his boots were muddy. I glared at him, and blocked him.

"You are not going inside this house, unless you take off your shoes. I'm not

going to spend my day cleaning after you guys. Again!" I griped, as I blocked

Sodapop from entering with my other arm. Sodapop gave me an exasperated

look. "But sis... this is urgent. We need Darry!" His eyes begged. I relented. It

had to be _something._ I thought. If it was making them go crazy like that, than I

figured it wasn't just something silly. It was serious. My guy like qualities kicked

in at that moment. I was curious about how much bloodloss there was. I thought

about it for a moment or two of relish, before I reported to my brothers that Darry

wasn't here."Shit." Ponyboy muttered, shaking his head. I was about to

scold him over his choice of words, but he cut me off, "Then you come! you're

good with nursing aren't you?" I stared at him, puzzled, but before I could object,

or say anything, Sodapop was pulling me along, running. I was in house slippers,

and the skirt did not allow me to run quickly enough for me to catch up to them.

"Slow down!" I called irratibly, as I hitched my skirt up, so I wouldn't trip. But

Sodapop didn't hear me. We were running down the sidewalk now, our feet

slapping the pavements. Ponyboy was ahead of us now, where he turned to an

alleyway, out of our sights. The alleyway led directly to the park.

Sodapop and I plunged in after him, and stopped

adruptly. Sodapop let go of my hand, and pointed at a body laying on the floor

motionless. My lower lips quivered. Was it Two-bit? Although I had never really

joined any of my brothers adventures in the alley's with their friends, I knew who

they hung out with. Greasers stuck together. We relied on each other. We

needed each other to hold on to. Withought each other, we'd be lost in the dark.

I drew closer to the body, and saw Dally's motionless body. Out of the people my

brother;s hung out with, it was Dally I least liked. But I still found, inside me, I

didn't want him dead. I bent down beside him, hearing steve behind me, stiffling

a cry coming deep from his chest. It was deadly quiet. I reached over, and

touched Dally's wrist, feeling for a pulse. His skin was colder than it had ever

been. I waited for something. Anything. A long minute passed before I felt a

faint pulse. I sighed with relief. He still had a fighting chance. And if there was

one thing Dally was, besides a cheat and an ass, he was a fighter. I looked up at

Ponyboy's sad eyes, and nodded,"he's.. alive. still. We need to take care of him.

Take him to the hospital." At that, the tension seemed to be released from

everyone. Steve and Two-bit walked toward's Dally's body, and lifted him up,

without any trouble at all. I watched Dally's face for a moment longer as they

started out the park, barking out commandments to get a car. Dally's face

would haunt me in my dreams. I shuddered. His face was serene, angelic,

undisturbed. Like nothing I had ever seen him look while he was still conscious.

I wondered, did all people look like that? Or was it reflecting how he was feeling.

I shivered, and crossed my slender arms over my chest. When the rest of the

gang had cleared, Sodapop and Ponyboy were the only ones who had stayed

behind. I turned to glare at them. "What were you two thinking? nothing

apparently! If someone's shot, what do you do? Drive him to a friggen' hospital!" I

yelled at them, hotly. Sometimes it surprised me how stupid my brothers could

be. Sodapop looked down, looking sorry, and shrugged. Ponyboy was more

defiant, but he never raised his voice with me. I guess it was because he didn't

think it was proper to, because I was his sister, and I was a girl.

"You're just as bad as Darry." Ponyboy groaned. But I waved it off dismissively.

"Don't start Pony. Look all I'm saying- all Darrell is saying- is you should use your

common sense.. okay?" I said, taking a softer tone. Ponyboy nodded, and

Sodapop grinned. "Everythin's all right, then?" He started to follow where the rest

of the gang had gone to. I looked at him, but he shrugged. He was my older

brother, I couldn't control him. I shot a quick look at Ponyboy, who threw his

hands up in surrender, giving an exasperrated sigh, "Shoot, sis, you won't let me

do nothin'" I smiled. "That's 'cuz I know you won't use your head." He looked at

me, and shook his head, a smile forming on his lips. I started to walk back,

instructing him to stay in front of me, just to make sure he wouldn't try to follow

the others. "I know how boys are." I said simply, when I saw the incredilous look

he gave me. He shrugged in defeat, and walked beside me instead. I was

content with that. The sky was darkening even more now. The streets were even

quieter than I had thought possible. I had never really been out this late, except

for the time when I had been out late with her friends, of course, under the guide

and supervision of my overprotective brothers. We walked back home in silence.

Ponyboy and I were the quiet ones. Sodapop was loud and restless, and Darrell

was always yelling. But I could stay perfectly calm and still, if I wanted to. I guess

I had always been brought up to be calm and respectable.

"I think he's going to live. What d'you think?" Ponyboy asked me, as I opened the

gate. I looked at him, and shrugged. "Yeah, I suppose. Dally's.. a fighter."

Although I disliked Dally very much, I had to admit, he was a fighter. Dally got

what he wanted always. Ponyboy made a sound at the back of his throat,

suggesting that he agreed with me. "I'm starved, did you cook anything?"

Ponyboy asked, subsituting his curiuosity for his love of food. I shook my head.

"Your going to have to settle for leftovers." I smirked. Ponyboy made a disgusted

face. "Ham again? we've had that for three straight days now." He complained.

I shrugged. There was nothing I could do about it. Darry worked hard at his job,

he really did. But sometimes, that just wasn't enough. Ponyboy settled himself on

the couch, watching the phone impatiently. I knew he was waiting for Sodapop,

or Two-bit to let him know about Dally's situation. Boys would be boys.


End file.
